Governor Bill Richardson backs
up commitment to Arts education with $9 million

SANTA FE - Governor Bill Richardson today announced a
dynamic plan to enhance and provide quality arts education programs
to all New Mexico school districts.

Governor Richardson delivered the following remarks during a news conference
today:

I am strongly committed to arts in schools. Art instruction is a critical
part of learning, and should be part of every school curriculum. I’ve
never wavered from that commitment.

As I said before, I object to paying for an arts program that this
year benefited just 20 percent of New Mexico’s schools, while
excluding 80 percent. All elementary schools should have the option
to provide arts education.

I’m making two major announcements today about arts education.

First, after discussions with my Secretary of Education, Veronica Garcia,
Secretary of Cultural Affairs Stuart Ashman, and representatives from
the arts community, I’m recommending that we increase funding
for arts instruction from $4 million last year to $9 million for the
next school year.

Secretary Garcia will ensure that the Public Education Department will
distribute the money to all districts that have approved arts programs.

Secretary Garcia will reach out and encourage all 89 districts to develop
programs and apply for funding, as opposed to the 23 districts that
got money for the current school year.

I don’t want schools to miss out on this opportunity simply because
they don’t know about it, or they don’t have the resources
to develop a program.

We are establishing a statewide Arts Advisory Board, which will include
arts educators, teachers, principals, higher education, community arts
providers, and the business community.

We will provide much-needed training, technical assistance and community
partnerships for arts teachers across the state. We will use 1-million
dollars - out of the 9-million dollars - to ensure districts succeed
with their arts programs.

We will enlist support from two new divisions: Indian Education and
Rural Education to help rural schools and schools with Native American
students to develop quality arts education plans and programs.

Second, my Secretary of Cultural Affairs is opening up the upper floor
of the new state building on Museum Hill to enhance the educational
opportunities of thousands of students and hundreds of teachers in New
Mexico.

This will be housed at the building on Museum Hill, which the former
Administration had planned for administrative functions. We are committing
the entire second floor - 5-thousand square feet - directly to arts
education.

This new initiative directly relates to my plans for arts education
in New Mexico schools.

Our Museum Outreach department, working with all of the organizations
within the Department of Cultural Affairs, will provide teacher training,
hands-on workshops and seminars and conferences in this new center.

We’re proposing after-school programs, distance learning, on-site
teacher training, courses that translate into college credit at UNM,
and many other exciting programs that will benefit arts instruction
in public schools.

What we’re doing is simple; we’re creating partnerships
with community based arts education providers to get more bang for the
taxpayer buck.

This is what I envisioned for the Public Education Department when
I asked voters last year to create a Secretary of Education. I want
the Department to work with districts and communities to find solutions
to challenges.